They Drive by Night (1940)

 Raoul Walsh's "They Drive by Night"

After working with Humphrey Bogart and George Raft in several other productions, Raoul Walsh's "They Drive by Night" saw a reuniting of director and performers. The film stars the two actors as truck-driving brothers. Throughout the film, they continue dealing with the difficulties of independent freelance truck driving, as they face loan sharks trying to repossess their trucks, staying up all hours of the night, and lack of income. One night, Humphrey Bogart's character loses his arm and must quit the business. The film then shifts to a female character who attempts to seduce George Raft's character and fails. She then murders her husband so she can be with him, only to discover that he is marrying another woman. She then blames it on Raft's character until the truth comes out in the trial. 

The film has noir-like elements dealing with murder and societal fatigue. However, it does not fulfill the noir structure, visuals, or themes. Rather, it dives into melodrama. For this viewer, the film starts to take a downfall when its focus shifts from Raft and Bogart to Ida Lupino's character. The film starts to feel like a contemporary soap opera, as Lupino's character murders her husband to get Raft to be with her. Because of the dramatic shift in narrative, the film feels lopsided. The real intrigue happening in the film was the economic and social pressures of the truck driving enterprise. 

The film, however, was a success both critically and commercially. It made over $1 million domestically and was praised by critics for its entertainment value and commercial viability.